Direct Cremation Explained: What Is and Is Not Included

In short: Direct cremation is a cremation with no funeral service and no mourners present, arranged through a funeral director who collects, cares for and cremates the person at a time the provider chooses. The CMA calls it an unattended funeral, and funeral directors must publish its price in a standard format. This guide explains what is and is not included, how a separate memorial works and what to ask before you choose.

What direct cremation is

Direct cremation is a cremation without a funeral service, where the person who has died is taken straight to the crematorium and mourners do not attend. It is sometimes described as an unattended funeral or an unattended cremation. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) uses the term unattended funeral in its standard price list, and describes it as a funeral with no service where mourners may not attend.

A funeral director still carries out the practical work: dealing with the paperwork, collecting the person from the place of death, caring for them until the cremation and arranging the coffin and transport. The difference is that nothing is organised for the family on the day. There is no hearse procession, no service at the crematorium and no set time for people to gather.

MoneyHelper, the government-backed money guidance service, notes that you can arrange a ceremony separately, at home or elsewhere. Nothing about the choice stops you from marking the person’s life in your own way afterwards.

If the person who died left written wishes, a prepaid plan or an insurance policy, check those first. They may already say whether a direct cremation was wanted.

What is included in a direct cremation price

The CMA’s standard price list for an unattended funeral has five core elements, plus the cremation fee. Funeral directors have had to publish prices in this format since September 2021, so you can compare like with like. The five elements in the CMA Order are:

1. taking care of the necessary legal and administrative arrangements
2. collecting the person and transporting them into the funeral director’s care
3. caring for them before the cremation, in appropriate facilities
4. a suitable coffin
5. transport to the crematorium at a date and time decided by the funeral director

On the CMA price list, the cremation line reads as the funeral director’s charges plus the cremation fee, which is the crematorium’s own charge. The same list notes that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you will usually need to pay doctors’ fees as well, for the medical certificates that cremation requires. Whether a provider’s headline price already includes the cremation fee and doctors’ fees is one of the first things to confirm in writing.

Providers may advertise a single package price, so ask to see the itemised standard price list as well.

What is not included, and what costs extra

An unattended cremation does not normally include a viewing, a choice of date and time, a funeral service, a limousine or a celebrant. The CMA’s unattended list has no viewing item, unlike its attended funeral list, which includes a viewing by appointment.

The CMA price list names several extras that funeral directors price separately. Any of these may be added to the bill:

• collection and delivery of ashes
• embalming
• a funeral officiant
• additional mileage, charged per mile
• additional transfers of the person
• services outside normal office hours

MoneyHelper also points out that ashes are not always returned automatically, so you may need to ask for them, and that some providers charge for delivery. Flowers, newspaper notices, catering and a memorial are further costs you would arrange yourself.

Ask each provider to list every extra it may charge and to tell you, before you agree, which ones apply to your situation. Our guide to where the money goes explains how the parts of a bill fit together.

No ceremony, and holding a separate memorial

The family does not attend, and the provider decides when the cremation takes place. That can feel very different from a traditional funeral, so it helps to think about it before you decide, rather than afterwards.

Points worth considering with the people closest to the person who died:

• whether anyone wants to see the person before the cremation, as this is not part of the CMA’s standard unattended list and may or may not be offered
• whether anyone wants to know the date and time so they can pause for a moment at that point, even from home
• whether religious or cultural practice requires a particular service, which this option may not allow
• how the person themselves felt about funerals, if they ever said

If your family or a religious leader expects a service at the crematorium, an attended cremation is the usual route. Bereavement can make quick decisions feel urgent, and it is reasonable to ask a provider to explain the options calmly. Our guide to bereavement support for carers lists places to turn for support, and a GP can also help if you are struggling.

Holding a memorial separately

Families can hold a memorial, celebration of life or gathering whenever and wherever suits them, because the cremation itself has no ceremony attached. MoneyHelper notes that a ceremony can be arranged separately, at home or elsewhere.

Some practical points:

• Ask when the ashes will be ready and how they will be returned, as you may want them present at the gathering.
• A gathering at home or in a favourite place can be simple, but any food, flowers, venue hire or celebrant are costs of their own.
• A celebrant or officiant is not part of the standard direct cremation price. Ask about fees directly.
• Think about who should be told and invited, and consider how people who cannot travel can take part, for example by sharing photographs or messages.

There is no deadline for a memorial, so some families wait until relatives can travel or the first difficult weeks have passed. If you are worried about money, keep memorial costs in the same budget as the cremation, so there are no surprises later. Our guide to low-cost funeral options covers other ways to keep costs down.

How it differs from a traditional funeral

A traditional funeral includes a service, usually with a hearse and a viewing option, while a direct cremation has none of these. The CMA’s two standard lists show the difference clearly.

The attended funeral list has six elements: legal and administrative arrangements, collection and transport, care of the person, a suitable coffin, a viewing by appointment, and a hearse or other vehicle to take the person to the cemetery or crematorium at a date and time agreed with you. The unattended list drops the viewing and the agreed time, and the date is set by the funeral director.

At the crematorium end, operators must display separate prices for a standard attended service, a reduced fee attended service (usually off peak) and an unattended service, if they offer them. An unattended service has its own fee because it does not use a service slot.

There is no single official figure for a direct cremation price. MoneyHelper publishes guide figures taken from commercial industry sources, so check the current page and, above all, check the actual price lists of the providers near you. Our cremation cost guide compares the different cremation options and fees.

How to compare direct cremation providers using the CMA rules

Ask each provider for its Standardised Price List and compare the unattended funeral line, the cremation fee and any extras on the same basis. The CMA Order requires funeral directors to show this list in their branch window and on their website, so you should not have to hunt for it.

What the CMA guidance says funeral directors must do:

• publish the Standardised Price List as a separate PDF on their website, reachable by one link from the home page, and display it in the branch
• show a price for each item, and write Not offered against the unattended funeral if they do not provide one
• provide a copy on request, and offer a physical copy to anyone who cannot visit or go online
• display the local crematorium prices, including the unattended fee
• set out any deposit, payment dates and late payment charges in their terms of business
• disclose their ultimate owner

When you compare, check four things: whether each price includes the cremation fee and doctors’ fees, whether ashes are returned and what delivery costs, the likely timescale, and the deposit and payment terms. A lower headline price can hide extras that make it the more expensive option.

If a provider cannot show you a price list, or the prices do not match what you were told, raise it with the provider in writing and consider asking Citizens Advice for guidance.

Questions to ask before you decide

Put your questions in writing where you can, and ask the provider to confirm the total price in the same way. Useful questions include:

1. What is the total price, and does it include the cremation fee and doctors’ fees?
2. Which items on your price list does this price cover, and which are extras?
3. Can we see the person before the cremation, and is there a charge?
4. When will the cremation take place, and will you tell us the date?
5. Will the ashes be returned, how, when and at what cost?
6. Is there a charge for collection outside office hours, or from a care home or hospital?
7. Do you need a deposit, and when is the balance due?
8. Who owns your business, and is it part of a larger group?
9. What happens if we change our mind before the cremation?

If you would rather not use a funeral director, the local council’s cemeteries and crematorium department can explain the options for arranging a funeral yourself, according to Citizens Advice. For help with who pays, see who pays for a funeral.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The main ideas are the same across the UK, but some arrangements and benefits differ. The CMA price list wording refers to doctors’ fees being usually payable in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so ask a Scottish provider what applies there.

Scotland has its own Funeral Director Code of Practice, which the Scottish Government brought into force from 1 March 2025. Help with funeral costs also differs: the Funeral Support Payment has replaced the Funeral Expenses Payment in Scotland, according to GOV.UK. For help in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, see our guide to funeral costs and funeral expenses payment, and check eligibility on GOV.UK.

Frequently asked questions

Is a direct cremation the same as an unattended funeral?

Yes, in practice. The CMA uses the term unattended funeral for a funeral with no service where mourners may not attend. Providers may call it direct cremation, unattended cremation or something similar, so check what each provider’s price list actually covers.

Can the family attend a direct cremation?

The CMA describes the unattended funeral as one where mourners may not attend. Policies vary between providers, and the standard list has no viewing item, so ask before you agree whether anyone can be present or see the person, and get the answer in writing.

Do I still need a funeral director?

Most families use one, but you can arrange a funeral yourself. GOV.UK says you can pay a funeral director or do it yourself, and Citizens Advice suggests contacting your local council’s cemeteries and crematorium department for help.

Are ashes always returned after a direct cremation?

Not automatically. MoneyHelper says ashes are not always returned, so you may need to ask, and some providers charge for delivery. The CMA price list treats collection and delivery of ashes as a separately priced extra.

Can we have a memorial service later?

Yes. A direct cremation has no ceremony, so families can arrange a memorial at home or elsewhere at any time. MoneyHelper notes that a ceremony can be arranged separately. A celebrant or venue would be a separate cost.

How do I compare prices between providers?

Ask each funeral director for its Standardised Price List, which the CMA Order requires them to publish on their website and in their branch. Compare the unattended funeral line, the cremation fee, doctors’ fees and extras such as ashes delivery on the same basis.

Is there an official average price for direct cremation?

No official average was found. MoneyHelper gives guide figures drawn from commercial industry sources, so treat them with care. The reliable figure is the current price on the Standardised Price Lists of providers in your area.

Official sources

• GOV.UK: Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 (CMA)
• GOV.UK: Funeral directors and crematorium operators guidance (CMA)
• GOV.UK: The Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 (full text, Schedule 1)
• GOV.UK: Arrange a funeral
• GOV.UK: Funeral Expenses Payment
• MoneyHelper: How much does a funeral cost?
• Citizens Advice: Arranging a funeral
• Scottish Government: Funeral Director Code of Practice

This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice. The Care Panel is an independent guide and is not part of any government body or care provider. Last checked 9 November 2026.

Related: Cremation cost in the UK · Low-cost funeral options · Funeral costs and Funeral Expenses Payment

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 9 November 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.